Pivotal Issues Blog

By: Cassidy Walter The morning of August 10, 2020, Dave Hommel was walking his fields in Grundy County, Iowa. The wind was picking up and he knew a big storm was on its way when he saw oak trees starting to bend. The derecho was coming with wind speeds exceeding 120 mph. Read More

By: Des Keller In 2018, Andrew Reuschel, a Golden, Illinois, farmer, was moving firmly down a regenerative agriculture path that is key in building soil carbon. Following in a soil conservation mode begun by his grandfather, Louis, and continued with his father, Jeff, their fields were nearing 100% no-till. Andrew continuously experimented with multispecies cover […]

By: Laurie Bedord As the Consumer Electronics Show kicks off today, John Deere announces two new technologies – ExactShot and a fully electric excavator – during the keynote address. This important opening session featured John May, John Deere CEO. He is the first ag tech executive to lead this keynote. Jahmy Hindman, CTO at John […]

By: Alex Gray The Active Cargo System (ACS) by Leitner Designs is a modular rack system for your pickup truck of choice, with a range of sizes available for models ranging as far back as 1999. Leitner offers three variations to the ACS: the Classic model, tonneau truck bed cover compatible model, and the company’s […]

By: Mark McLaughlin Problem: how can we offset land vs. non-farm assets between heirs when values constantly change? We have one son who farms with us. Our other son has a great job two hours away. He appreciates the operation but will never come back to farm. We want to be fair to both, but […]

By: Myron Friesen Problem: How do you put a price on the livestock portion of a farming operation when estate planning? Our farm has both land and livestock. I think I know what we need to do with the land portion of our planning, but the livestock portion of our estate is the challenge. We […]

By: Laurie Bedord Every farm has a history, but the story of Arnold farm in Rushville, Indiana, is preserved better than most. From letters, diaries, and photos to a saddlebag medicine kit and furniture, the Arnolds believed in saving every slice of their history. For nearly 75 years, Eleanor Arnold has been discovering and documenting […]

By: Shawna Williamson Losing someone you love and then almost immediately having to take care of legal and financial matters is a difficult situation. During the past 30 years, I’ve advised numerous people how to perform the duties of executor. They are normally overwhelmed and frustrated. However, I reassure them that it will be OK, […]

By: Cassidy Walter September 1 marks the automatic oral lease renewal date in South Dakota and Iowa, but the experts say it’s time to turn a handshake agreement into a hand-signed agreement. While less common today, handshake or oral lease agreements are still at play in American agriculture. Read More